CYTOTOXICITY AND MUTAGENICITY OF OPHTHALMIC SOLUTION PRESERVATIVES AND UVA RADIATION IN L5178Y CELLS

Four chemical preservatives commonly used in ophthalmic solutions were tested for their toxic and mutagenic potential in mouse lymphoma cells with and without exposure of the cells to ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation. The preservatives tested were benzalkonium chloride (BAK), chlorhexidine, thimerosal and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Cell survival and mutagenesis were measured using the L5178Y mouse lymphoma (TK +/-) system. Cells were exposed to varying amounts of preservatives for 1 h at 37 degrees C, and then aliquots were irradiated with UVA radiation (during the exposure to preservative). Cells were then assayed for survival, and for mutagenesis at the thymidine kinase (TK) locus. In concentrations commonly found in ophthalmic solutions, BAK, chlorhexidine, and thimerosal were toxic to cells, and thimerosal was slightly mutagenic. When cells were exposed to preservative and UVA radiation, chlorhexidine was mutagenic and the mutagenic activity of thimerosal was enhanced.     

LC-AFS法对动物源性食品中硫柳汞残留量的测定

建立了动物源性食品中硫柳汞残留量的LC-AFS分析方法.样品经酸、碱提取液提取,液相色谱分离后,先与氧化剂混合,再与空气混合,通过紫外光照射,硫柳汞被氧化成无机汞,最后与还原剂和盐酸发生氢化反应,进入原子化器,进行原子荧光测定.对样品前处理条件、液相色谱条件、氧化剂和原子荧光工作条件进行了考察.在优化实验条件下,硫柳汞...     

HPLC analysis of thimerosal and its degradation products in ophthalmic solutions with electrochemical detection

A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic assay using amperometric detection on a glassy-carbon electrode has been developed for analysis of thimerosal and its main degradation products, thiosalicylic acid and dithiodibenzoic acid, in ophthalmic formulations. A potential value of 0.9 V vs. Ag/AgCl was chosen for simultaneous detection of thimerosal and thiosalicylic acid, obtaining limits of detection of 1.0 and 0.2 ng injected, respectively. A potential value of 1.2V was applied for simultaneous determination of all three compounds studied, obtaining in this case limits of detection of 3,4 and 4 ng injected for thimerosal, thiosalicylic acid and dithiodibenzoic acid, respectively. The results obtained reveal the utility of the HPLC method in quality control of commercial products containing thimerosal with good detectability.     

微波适用塑料食品保鲜膜/袋组分的总迁移量测定方法的对比

从超市选购15种微波适用塑料食品保鲜膜或袋作为样品,应用EN 1186-13-2002和GB/T 5009.156-2003两种标准方法中所述方法对样品在存放脂肪类食品时其组分迁移至食品中的总量做了测定。试验中用橄榄油和正己烷作为模拟食品,GB/T标准方法的检测结果表明:15种样品均属合格产品,而EN标准方法的检测结果表明在此15种样品中有4种属不合格,其合格率为73.3%。为探究两种方法所得结果存在差异的原因,采用红外光谱法(IR)、差示扫描量热法(DSC)及热失重法(TG)3种测试方法对上述样品作进一步研究。结果发现不合格的样品中含填料较高。此外,EN标准方法中所采用的样品预处理条件与实际使用情况更为接近。     

Development of a solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography with microelectron-capture detection method for the determination of 5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane in rinse-off cosmetics

5-Bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane (bronidox) is a bromine-containing preservative often used in rinse-off cosmetics but also subjected to several restrictions according to the European Cosmetic Products Regulation. Thus, as a part of a quality control procedure, analytical methods for the determination of this compound in different types of cosmetics are required. In the present work, a solvent-free and simple methodology based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography with microelectron capture detection (GC-μECD) has been developed and validated for the determination of bronidox in cosmetic samples such as shampoos, body cleansers or facial exfoliants. As far as we know, this is the first application of SPME to this preservative. Negative matrix effects due to the complexity of the studied samples were reduced by dilution with ultrapure water. The influence of several factors on the SPME procedure such as fiber coating, extraction temperature, salt addition (NaCl) and sampling mode has been assessed by performing a 2⁴-factorial design. After optimization, the recommended procedure was established as follows: direct solid-phase microextraction (DSPME), using a PDMS/DVB coating, of 10 mL of diluted cosmetic with 20% NaCl, at room temperature, under stirring for 30 min. Using these suggested extraction conditions, linear calibration could be achieved, with limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) well below the maximum authorized concentration (0.1%) established by the European legislation. Relative standard deviations (RSD) lower than 10% were obtained for both within a day and among days precision. The method was applied to diverse types of formulations spiked with bronidox at different concentration levels (0.008–0.10%); these samples were quantified by external calibration and satisfactory recoveries (≥70%) were obtained in all cases. Finally, the SPME–GC-μECD methodology was applied to the analysis of several cosmetics labeled or not as containing bronidox. The presence of this preservative in some of these samples was confirmed by GC–MS.     

Developing a modified preservative efficacy testing approach as a predictive tool for the evaluation of preservative systems in liquid home care products under variable test conditions

How can a formulator have confidence that a preservative system will perform as expected under adverse conditions? Extreme conditions that can lead to the development of "off odors" in the product can be a serious challenge for companies providing home care products in the global market. Formulation and stability testing occur under controlled parameters that simulate limited environmental conditions and microbial challenges are typically performed with a standard inoculum level. While this is an acceptable and dependable process, it does not necessarily assess how well a preservative system can perform under extreme environmental conditions or against unusually high levels of bacterial challenges. This is especially true when formulations are diluted and stored by the end-user. By modifying microbial challenge testing of a liquid dishwashing product to include unexpected dilution schemes, increased microbial assaults, and elevated temperatures, a pattern of preservative efficacy was established. The resulting approach proved to be a useful tool when developing use directions, recommended dilution levels, the overall surfactant system, preservative type, and storage restrictions.     

Evaluation of polymers for conservation treatments of outdoor exposed stone monuments. Part II: Photo-oxidative and salt-induced weathering of acrylic-silicone mixtures

The behaviour of the acrylic-silicone mixture commonly known as Bologna Cocktail, composed of commercial acrylic polymer Paraloid B72 and the silicon-based product, Dri Film 104, extensively employed as stone preservative for monuments in the last thirty years, has been tested on specimens appropriately prepared and submitted to ageing simulating reliable outdoor environment. After chemical characterization, the acrylic-silicone mixture was applied as thin film on slides, as thick film on Petri dishes and on marble by brush or by absorption; the resulting samples were artificially aged by light and saline solution. The chemical modifications were evaluated by FT-IR, NMR and SEC determinations, while preservative properties were tested by removability tests, ultrasonic and colorimetric measurements. The mixture consists of two immiscible phases and the two components have distinctive chemical behaviours, leading - after ageing - to irreversible molecular modifications and loss of conservative properties. The deterioration processes identified through laboratory simulation have been also verified on treated marble surfaces of two Venetian case studies.     

Compatibility study of tobramycin and pharmaceutical excipients using differential scanning calorimetry,FTIR, DRX,and HPLC

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), isothermal stress testing–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (IST–FTIR), isothermal stress testing–high-performance liquid chromatography, and powder X-ray diffraction (PDRX) were used as screening techniques for assessing the compatibility of tobramycin with some currently employed ophthalmic excipients. In the first phase of the study, DSC was used as a tool to detect any interaction. The absolute value of the difference between the enthalpy of the pure tobramycin melting peak and that of its melting peak in the different analyzed mixtures was chosen as a parameter of the drug–excipient interaction degree. DSC results demonstrated that benzalkonium chloride, monobasic sodium phosphate, boric acid, edetate disodium, sodium metabisulfite, thimerosal, and potassium sorbate interact with tobramycin. Taking into account these results, it could be suggested that some of the changes observed in the IST–FTIR spectra of binary blends of tobramycin and some of the excipients would account for a possible interaction between the mixture component. In this study, PDRX did not provide much information, since only tobramycin–thimerosal interactions could be detected. DSC and IST–FTIR are suitable and simple methods for the detection of potential incompatibilities between active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and excipients.

     

Sixteen capillary electrophoresis applications for viral vaccine analysis

A broad range of CE applications from our organization is reviewed to give a flavor of the use of CE within the field of vaccine analyses. Applicability of CE for viral vaccine characterization, and release and stability testing of seasonal influenza virosomal vaccines, universal subunit influenza vaccines, Sabin inactivated polio vaccines (sIPV), and adenovirus vector vaccines were demonstrated. Diverse CZE, CE-SDS, CGE, and cIEF methods were developed, validated, and applied for virus, protein, posttranslational modifications, DNA, and excipient concentration determinations, as well as for the integrity and composition verifications, and identity testing (e.g., CZE for intact virus particles, CE-SDS application for hemagglutinin quantification and influenza strain identification, chloride or bromide determination in process samples). Results were supported by other methods such as RP-HPLC, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential measurements. Overall, 16 CE methods are presented that were developed and applied, comprising six adenovirus methods, five viral protein methods, and methods for antibodies determination of glycans, host cell-DNA, excipient chloride, and process impurity bromide. These methods were applied to support in-process control, release, stability, process- and product characterization and development, and critical reagent testing. Thirteen methods were validated. Intact virus particles were analyzed at concentrations as low as 0.8 pmol/L. Overall, CE took viral vaccine testing beyond what was previously possible, improved process and product understanding, and, in total, safety, efficacy, and quality.     

Evaluation of some selected vaccines and other biological products irradiated by gamma rays,electron beams and X-rays

Molecular sizing potency results are presented for irradiated samples of one lot of Haemophilus b conjugate vaccine, pneumococcal polysaccharide type 6B and typhoid vi polysaccharide vaccine. The samples were irradiated (25 kGy) by gamma rays, electron beams and X-rays. IgG and IgM antibody response in mice test results (ELISA) are given for the Hib conjugate vaccine irradiated at 0°C or frozen in liquid nitrogen.     

UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for direct analysis of drugs of abuse in oral fluid for DUID assessment

An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry method for the direct analysis in oral fluid (OF) of several abused drugs and metabolites in a single chromatographic run was set up and validated. Amphetamine, methamphetamine, morphine, O-6-monoacetylmorphine, cocaine, codeine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methylenedioxyethylamphetamine, methylenedioxyamphetamine, methadone, benzoylecgonine (BEG), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), ketamine, and cocaethylene were determined in a single chromatographic run with no sample pretreatment, after addition of the respective deuterated internal standards. The method was designed to perform a confirmation analysis on the residual OF samples after the preliminary on-site screening test, and it was applied on preservative buffers from different devices (Mavand Rapidstat, Concateno DDS, and Greiner Bio-One) or on neat OF samples. The method was suitable to be applied to the small amounts of sample available for the confirmatory analysis after the preliminary on-site screening or on undiluted OF samples. Limits of detection varied from 5 (morphine) to 0.2 ng/mL (methamphetamine, MDMA, BEG, and cocaethylene). The method was linear for all the substances involved, giving quadratic correlation coefficients of >0.99 in all the different preservative buffers checked. In addition, repeatability and accuracy were satisfactory for the majority of the substances, except for a few cases. The developed method was subsequently applied to 466 residual samples from on-site screening performed by police officers. Of these samples, 74 showed the presence of cocaine and metabolites; THC was detected in 49 samples. Two samples showed codeine and morphine while MDMA was detected in 11 samples and ketamine in four samples.     

An isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of benzoyl peroxide and the related compounds benzoic acid, benzaldehyde, ethyl benzoate, methylparaben, and propylparaben in dermal preparations

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous determination of benzoyl peroxide and the related compounds benzoic acid (BA), methylparaben, benzaldehyde, propylparaben, and ethyl benzoate. The compounds are separated on a column containing octadecyl silane chemically bonded to porous silica particles. The mobile phase is acetonitrile-buffer (45 + 55, v/v). Solutions are injected into the chromatographic system under isocratic conditions at a constant flow rate of 1.5 mL/min with UV detection at 235 nm. Analysis of stability samples showed rapid accumulation of BA by thermal degradation. A rationale has been established for the acceptable limit of BA in the formulation, which already contains BA (0.2%) as a preservative. The proposed method is efficient and determines the active compound and 5 related compounds in a run time of 20 min. The method was validated according to the guidelines of the International Conference on Harmonization and demonstrated good agreement with the validation requirements.     

Rapid high-performance liquid chromatography method for the analysis of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate in foods

A rapid and reliable method is presented for the determination of the preservatives sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate in fruit juices, sodas, soy sauce, ketchup, peanut butter, cream cheese, and other foods. The procedure utilizes high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) followed by UV diode array detection for identification and quantitation of the two preservatives. Liquid samples were prepared by diluting 1 ml of the sample with 10 ml of an acetonitrile/ammonium acetate buffer solution. Samples of viscous or solid foods were prepared by blending the sample with the same buffer solution in a 1:5 ratio followed by a dilution identical to liquid samples. All samples were filtered to remove particulate matter prior to analysis. The HPLC determination of the preservatives was performed using a reversed-phase C18 column and UV detection at 225 nm for sodium benzoate and 255 nm potassium sorbate. The percentage of preservative in the sample was calculated by external standard using authentic sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Apple juice, apple sauce, soy sauce, and peanut butter, spiked at 0.10 and 0.050% for both sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, yielded recoveries ranging from 82 to 96%. The method can detect 0.0010% (10 mg/l) of either preservative in a juice matrix.     

UV-spectrophotometric determination of ketoprofen and paraben in a gel preparation by partial least-squares calibration

Partial least-squares calibration was used for the simultaneous UV spectrophotometric determination of the active principle (ketoprofen) and preservative (parabens) in a pharmaceutical preparation commercially available in gel form. Calibration mixtures were prepared by mixing pure solutions of the analytes. The analytes were extracted and the UV spectrum of the resulting dispersion was recorded. Suppression of the effect of undissolved gel components was accomplished by prior centrifugation, using first and second-derivative spectra, introducing artificial baseline changes and adding the turbidity effect on the sample spectrum to some of the spectra in the calibration matrix. Both the second-derivative and the addition of the turbidity effect allow the quantification of non-centrifuged samples, the last one seems to be a little more effective. The results thus obtained are compared with those provided by HPLC following centrifugation of the samples.     

Carbon paste electrode modified with silver thimerosal for the potentiometric flow injection analysis of silver(I)

The utility of carbon paste electrode modified with silver ethylmercurythiosalicylate (silver thimerosal) in both static mode and flow injection analysis (FIA) is demonstrated. The electrode was fully characterized in terms of composition, response time, thermal stability, usable pH and ionic strength ranges. It has been shown that diisononyl phthalate (DINP) acts as more suitable solvent mediator for preparation of the electrode, which exhibits linear response range to Ag(I) extending from 5.0 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.0 × 10⁻³ M with detection limit of 2.5 × 10⁻⁷ M and Nernstian slope of 59.3 ± 1.0 mV/decade. The proposed chemically modified carbon paste electrode shows a very good selectivity for Ag(I) over a wide variety of metal ions and successfully used for the determination of the silver content of silver sulphadiazine (burning cream) and developed radiological films. The electrode was also used as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of thiopental and thimerosal with AgNO₃.     

The effect of some possible factors in c-peptide immunoreactivity in urine on the quality of the results

About 15% of CPR-U did not correspond between two kinds of kits in the routine assay, which were produced by different pharmaceutical firms, and also it is realised that the effect of the preservative, storage condition and buffer dilutions can not be overlooked in quality control programmes. Based on these problems, following results are concluded; (1) Urine preservative: NaN3 is better than toluene. (2) Urine CPR was stable for added preservative at 4 degrees C for two weeks. (3) Diluents may effect the CPR-U results, if not kept in good condition. The role of the makers in supporting improved quality in clinical laboratory tests will be expected.     

Pomegranate By-Products as Natural Preservative to Prolong the Shelf Life of Breaded Cod Stick

This work evaluated the efficacy of pomegranate byproducts, specifically peel powder, as valid preservatives for food quality. Ready-to-cook cod sticks breaded with pomegranate peel powder were prepared. Shelf-life tests were conducted on breaded cod sticks during refrigerated storage (17 days) at 4 °C, monitoring the pH, microbiological and sensory quality. In addition, the nutritional quality of both the breaded and control samples was assessed. The results highlighted that active samples showed higher phenol and flavonoid content and higher antioxidant activity compared to the control fish, suggesting that pomegranate peel powder was responsible for a significant increase in cod stick nutritional quality. Furthermore, the cod stick active breading led to a delay in microbial growth without affecting the sensory properties; rather, it helped slow down the sensory attribute decline during the refrigerated storage. The data suggest that using pomegranate byproducts in breaded cod stick was effective in prolonging its shelf life, as well as improving its nutritional quality. Therefore, pomegranate peel powder can be considered as a potential resource as natural food preservative.     

Polysorbate 80 and histidine quantitative analysis by NMR in the presence of virus-like particles

Polysorbate-80 (PS80) and histidine are common excipients in vaccine and therapeutic protein formulation. A simple quantitative NMR method to measure both PS80 and histidine in human papillomavirus (HPV) virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine for aqueous and alum-containing samples is described. The new NMR method is compared to current colorimetric methods for PS80 and RP HPLC for histidine. The new NMR method is comparable to current assays with an advantage of a simpler sample treatment for PS80. The efficiency is also increased because one method can now provide two assay results instead of two separate methods. Furthermore, the NMR method can detect PS80 stability due to hydrolysis and oxidation when PS80 is stored in a stainless steel container by observing a change of its NMR line shape profile.     

Study of the inhibitory effect of ferulic acid on short-chain fatty acids in milk samples by dispersive liquid–liquid micro-extraction in combination with fluorescence derivatization

A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to study the influence of ferulic acid on the formation of volatile fatty acids and lactic acid in milk and soybean milk samples. Volatile fatty acids were extracted by liquid–liquid micro-extraction using chloroform and acetonitrile as the extraction and disperser solvents, respectively. The analytes were derivatized with 2-(5-benzoacridine)ethyl-p-toluenesulfonate that showed excellent fluorescence property and made the sensitive HPLC analysis of short-chain fatty acids become possible. The optimized HPLC sensitivity was in the range of 1.1–1.9?µg?L^?1. Ferulic acid was added in milk and soybean milk samples to study its preservative effect. The results indicated that ferulic acid with concentration of 0.2% (m/v) could effectively reduce the formation of short-chain fatty acids.     

Molecular structures of thimerosal (Merthiolate) and other arylthiolate mercury alkyl compounds

The molecular structure of sodium ethylmercury thiosalicylate (also known as thimerosal and Merthiolate) and related arylthiolate mercury alkyl compounds, namely PhSHgMe and PhSHgEt, have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. (1)H NMR spectroscopic studies indicate that the appearance of the (199)Hg mercury satellites of the ethyl group of thimerosal is highly dependent on the magnetic field and the viscosity of the solvent as a consequence of relaxation due to chemical shift anisotropy.